Therapy for Polio patients

Whereas in the beginning, polio patients used to account for the highest percentage of our clientele, the numbers are now clearly regressing (due to improved vaccination prophylaxis). Now these days, fortunately hardly any new cases of polio-infections can be denoted. The patients who are currently still receiving treatment from the MVT got infected several years ago but are suffering from the late consequential damage caused by the infection.

What is Polio?

Polio is caused by a virus-infection from the spinal cord, which can affect different muscles and eventually cause paralysis of various dimensions,depending on the location of the infection. Unfortunately, often both legs are affected. Due to the lack of movement of the limbs, contractions and deformations can be developed as a result of it. If both legs are affected, the children are convicted to moving foreward by creeping on the floor. If only one leg is affected and depending on the dimension of the paralysis, the children may be able to limp or walk with the aid of a stick.

The steps for the treatment of Polio patients are the following:
 

1) Plaster stretching:

Contractions of foot or kneejoints can be stretched by means of plasters. The legs get plastered. Every week, the plasters get removed and reapplyied while stretching the joint bit by bit, so that the joint can be brought back into a normal position. Legs that can`t be stretched get straightened into a physiological axis. This specific therapy procedure had been carried out with over 100 patients in the first years. At the moment there are about 20 patients each year who get treated by plaster stretching.

Ravi is suffering of polio, both his legs are paralyzed and deformated.
He can`t walk.

 

through plaster stretching, the legs can be brought back into a straight
position, afterwards he obtained callipers and crutches from us.
Result: Ravi can walk!

2) Allocation of assistive devices

Afterwards, callipers and if requird crutches are given to the children, which are manufactured in our own orhtopaedic workshop. In the first year, about 200 patients had obtained callipers from the MVT. Yet there are still 100 patients a year receiving callipers from us.

Walking training: With callipers and if required with crutches, the patients
learn how to walk. The daily „use“ of the affected legs offers
the best training possible for the atrophied muscles.

Moni at her first attempt at walking, after that she had only been able
to kreep on the floor for 10 years.

4) Acupuncture treatment

For further muscle-strenghtening, acupuncture treatment is carried out by the MVT. Needles get attached to an Electrostimulator and by doing so, the muscles can be stimulated. This specific form of treatment is in addition to the reactivation of the legs through carrying callipers, one of the only methods to reactivate the paralyzed muscles in an efficient way.

For approximately 35 Euros a kreeping child can be brought back on its legs.
Plasters for both legs:  ~10 Euros
2 callipers: ~15 Euros
1 pair of crutches: ~10 Euros

5) Handbikes:

To improve mobility over longer distance, the MVT conveys handbikes, which are allocated by the Indian government.

Avinash on his handbike. Thanks to his handbike he is more mobile and
can now defeat longer distances.